USA > Rhode Island > Kent County > Greene > A history of Greene and vicinity, 1845-1929 > Part 6
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The last public record of Ionic Lodge was published by Past State Master H. W. Rugg, and at that time the lodge had a mem- bership of about forty. The list of officers for that year, 1891, was as follows:
Worthy Master.
SAMUEL H. BOWEN
Senior Warden
HENRY D. DIXON
Junior Warden
GEORGE B. PARKER
Treasurer E. L. Boss
Secretary A. P. TABER
Chaplain REV. G. W. KENNEDY
Senior Deacon
E. E. SALISBURY
Junior Deacon .
CHARLES CAPWELL
Senior Steward
J. D. HILLARY
Junior Steward A. A. KENNEDY
Marshal GARDINER WILCOX
Sentinel. W. N. DEMING
Music Director GORDON B. PARKER
Tyler JOSEPH T. HOPKINS
64
History of Greene and Vicinity
Since that time this lodge, like all orders, has had its ups and downs, but there have always been a few who have held on and by their work and attendance have kept the lodge alive. There has been a long line of past masters, from all walks of life and from all kinds of business.
In the course of the fifty-nine years in which this lodge has been in existence several hundred must have entered its portals and been initiated into its mysteries. Many of these who became faithful members and officers have left this lodge for the Great Lodge Beyond, where all may enter who have the correct pass- word, never to go out.
During the World War and soon after, a revival of interest came to Ionic Lodge, and through this revived interest many of the younger members of the community applied for membership, and were accepted and duly initiated into the three degrees of the Blue Lodge. Many of these new members have been appointed and elected to the several offices and have finally reached the Master's chair. With a few exceptions the worthy masters have been young men, and this seems likely to be the case for some years to come. The lodge is now in the best financial and numerical condition of its long life, owning its own hall and having made many improvements. Its home is equal to many in more thickly settled communities, and the lodge bids fair to prosper for many years to come.
The lodge has had a long and worthy line of past masters from 1870 to the present time, some of them serving more than one term, and in a few cases being re-elected several times, showing that their work was well done,-but in late years one term of office has been the rule. Joseph T. Hopkins had the high honor of being elected at three different times and held the mastership for eight years, an honor seldom gained in any order. Joseph D. Hillary, of Foster, was also re-elected after an interval.
Following is the list of thirty-nine members who have held the high office of master in this lodge:
WHIPPLE V. PHILLIPS 1870 and 1871 Dead
WARNER H. TILLINGHAST . 1872 and 1873 Dead
GEORGE K. TYLER, of Foster . .1874 Dead
GARDINER R. WILCOX 1875 and 1876 Dead
65
History of Greene and Vicinity
WILLIAM H. JORDAN .1877
Dead
JOSEPH T. HOPKINS
1878 and 1879
Dead
EDWARD E. ARNOLD
1880 and 1881
Dead
GEORGE T. DORRANCE
1882 and 1883
Dead
JOSEPH T. HOPKINS
1884 to 1886
Dead
ALVEN A. KENNEDY .
1887
J. D. HILLARY . 1888.
Dead
AMASA P. TABER 1889
SAMUEL H. BOWEN
1890
Dead
GEORGE B. PARKER 1891
JOSEPH D. HILLARY
. 1892
Dead
JOSEPH T. HOPKINS
1893 to 1895
Dead
JOB S. CARPENTER
1896 to 1898
Dead
ELMER A. SALISBURY
1902
ELMER J. RATHBUN
1903
EZRA K. PARKER.
1904 and 1905 . .. .. Dead
ALBERT A. WHALEY
1906 and 1907
BYRON H. NIXON
1908 and 1909
HERBERT A. HOPKINS
1910
DANIEL R. BILLINGTON
. 19II and 1912. .... Dead
CHARLES T. HALL 1913
DANIEL H. ROSE
1914
GEORGE R. FISKE
1915
FRANK M. HALL
1916.
Dead
JOHN M. COLE
1917
WILLIAM E. TEFFT 1918
HORACE A. CARPENTER 1919
WILLIAM R. POTTER
1920
JESSE FINLEY
1921
FRED A. BROWN 1922
ALEXANDER P. BATES 1923
ERNEST S. BRIGGS
1924
ELMER A. HAVENS
1925
FRANK T. GORSLINE, JR
1926
CHARLES H. ARNOLD .
1927
EVERETT M. BLANCHARD 1928
FRED J. KENNEDY
1929
1899 to 1901
BENJAMIN F. HALI
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History of Greene and Vicinity
Of these past masters of Ionic Lodge No. 28 some fourteen have passed on to meet the Great Master of all the earth. Most if not all of the funerals have been conducted by the brethren whom they loved so well while here, with the very impressive burial ritual used by this order.
Besides those who have received the highest honors this lodge can give, there have been many others through the years who have been faithful members of the lodge, and to them is due the good work done by the lodge in the community. Among those of the older members was Alexander Peck, who for many years never missed a meeting of his lodge, content to see others hold the high positions while he performed the smaller tasks. At his death, according to his wish, the services were held in the Masonic Hall, and he was laid away by his brethren whom he loved so much.
Rev. George W. Kennedy was another of the older brothers who seldom missed a communication and never aspired to any of the high offices, but he also was content to work where he could do the most good.
Caleb Ray Nicholas was another of the early workers who was faithful to the obligations he had taken until he left here for the Higher and Better Lodge.
These are only a few of many who have borne the heat of the day, and through whose work Ionic Lodge is what it is today. Ionic Lodge, as well as all other lodges, has had its dark days as well as its bright days, but in this year of 1929 the outlook is bright for a prosperous future. With several young men to guide it in the high chair in the east and with a full corps of officers to help in the work of the lodge it should be able to keep to the front for many years to come. If all work together for this end success is sure for Ionic Lodge for many years to come. So be it.
HOPKINS HOLLOW CEMETERY
AND HOPKINS HOLLOW CEMETERY ASSOCIATION
FORMED TO PROTECT THE LOTS AND ENLARGE THE CEMETERY
It is believed that the first steps toward making a cemetery in Hopkins Hollow were taken in the year 1840, when a deed was given by George Hopkins, deeding land to be used as a burial place.
67
History of Greene and Vicinity
George Hopkins then owned the land on the south and west of the land deeded for the cemetery. The north side, fronting the highway, and the east end, were next to land owned by Nathaniel Arnold.
Some time after, a four foot wall was built, enclosing the ceme- tery, and burying lots were taken by most of the settlers who lived within a radius of a mile or so. When the cemetery was laid out it was probably thought that it would be large enough for themselves and their families and those who would come after them. This was some fifteen years before the railroad came through, which was to make such a great change in the community and was to put the village of Greene on the map and to bring many families from other states and from other parts of this state who were to settle here for many years.
Before 1840 there had been no large cemetery nearer than Plain Meeting House on the south, Oneco on the west, and Maple Root on the east. Most of the older settlers set aside a place on their farms as a burial spot, and so we find a few graves on many of the old farms through the country, most of them neglected, and many of them hard to find on account of the brush and woods which have grown up. The older citizens in this community can remember when there were but few graves in Hopkins Hollow Cemetery, but following the Civil War several new graves were made, and during the next forty years most of the generation which had seen the cemetery started had been buried here or elsewhere. With the beginning of the new century it was seen that something must be done toward enlarging the cemetery grounds to provide room for those who wished to be buried there. Most of the lots originally were large enough for their owners and their posterity, but some had sold part of their original lots to others, and in time it was plainly evident that more land would be needed to accommodate all who desired to be buried there. So more land was given on the east end and cleared for burial lots and this was all taken up in a few years. Again the question came up as to more land, and also the question of the care of the lots already in the cemetery. Some of these lots had been well cared for by the successors of those who had gone from us, while other lots were totally uncared for and were allowed to grow up to brush and grass and weeds, no one seeming to care, and on one having
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History of Greene and Vicinity
any authority to change matters. Under these conditions it was thought advisable to form a company or association to have charge of the cemetery grounds, to clean up all the lots needing it, and to see that all lots were kept in good condition, as well as to take up the question of enlarging the cemetery grounds.
Senator Edward E. Arnold, who had a deep interest in the cemetery from the fact that his father's family was buried there, was the leader in the movement toward forming an association of those interested. A meeting was held on January 8, 1922, at which the following persons were present:
WAYNE H. WHITMAN
MRS. JOSEPH T. HOPKINS
CHARLES E. CAPWELL
MRS. BOWEN MATTESON
EBEN A. BRIGGS
WILLIAM H. JORDAN
HANNAH F. BROWN
FLORENCE E. CAPWELL
AMBROSE H. NICHOLAS
NELSON G. CAPWELL
IDA M. NICHOLAS
SANFORD T. BRIGGS
EDWARD E. ARNOLD
SQUIRE G. WOOD
EVERETT E. HOPKINS
EDWIN H. ARNOLD
ETHEL M. HOPKINS
FRANK A. POTTER
HARRY E. WATSON
and several others.
Wayne H. Whitman was elected chairman of the meeting and Edwin H. Arnold was elected secretary.
An act of incorporation was presented, and after a very free and full discussion of its parts and as a whole, upon motion of Edward E. Arnold, seconded by S. G. Wood, the act was voted accepted and adopted, and the presiding officer was directed to secure its passage at the session of the General Assembly then being held at Providence. The meeting was then adjourned until again lawfully called together according to the act to be passed.
On August 13, 1922, at 2 P. M. standard time, the first annual meeting of the Hopkins Hollow Cemetery Association was held in the church, the following members being present:
WILLIAM H. JORDAN EBEN A. BRIGGS
EDWARD E. ARNOLD
ETHEL M. HOPKINS
SQUIRE G. WOOD
A. H. NICHOLAS CHARLES E. CAPWELL MITTIE H. ARNOLD
NELSON G. CAPWELL EVERETT E. HOPKINS
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History of Greene and Vicinity
Wayne H. Whitman acted as president pro tem, and the follow- ing officers were elected to serve one year:
President,
WILLIAM H. JORDAN
Vice-President,
EDWARD E. ARNOLD
Secretary,
ETHEL M. HOPKINS
Treasurer,
AMBROSE H. NICHOLAS
Trustees,
above ex-officio and
EVERETT E. HOPKINS
EBEN A. BRIGGS
NELSON G. CAPWELL
It was voted to accept the act of incorporation and to adopt a set of by-laws which had been prepared.
It was then voted to adjourn for one year unless meeting should be called by the chair during that time.
Since that date three of the incorporators have died.
Annual meetings have been held at the time specified in the by-laws, officers have been duly elected, reports for the year have been received and accepted.
Upon the death of William H. Jordan, Henry N. Arnold, younger son of Edward E. Arnold, was elected president, which position he still holds. Edwin H. Arnold is vice-president. Miss Nina B. Nicholas has been secretary for the last few years, and Ambrose H. Nicholas has been treasurer from the beginning until the present time. The trustees have been unchanged.
One of the objects for which the corporation was formed, that of making the cemetery larger, is now in progress. The north wall has been moved some thirty feet farther north, making room for a new driveway and several new lots. The whole cemetery has been cleaned up and now presents a very satisfactory appearance. The work has been highly approved by all, with one or two excep- tions, who seem to fail to appreciate what has been accomplished. By the time of the next annual meeting it is hoped that this great improvement will have been brought to a successful finish, and that Hopkins Hollow Cemetery will be one of the best cared for in the state.
History of the "South Farm" now Part of the "Arnold Farms"
The Nichols Family The Wood Family 1929
By SQUIRE G. WOOD
JONATHAN NICHOLS
1
1
WELCOME
ELIPHA M.
M. SQUIRE G. WOOD
DIANA M. THOMAS JOHNSON
*See Thomas Wood Chart
-
-
1 JOHN
-
JEREMIAH S., JR.
JANE
M.
M.
DR. P. K. HUTCHINSON
NO C.
- JOHN H.
HENRY JOHNSTONE
M.
FLORENCE
EVA
- JOB S.
BERTHA
- NELLIE
EDWARD L.
WILLIAM H.
- ANNIE M.
BESSIE A.
HALSEY M. TILLINGHAST
-
SUSIE
NELLIE
CHARLES H.
M.
REV. ROLLO HUNT
CHARLES F. CARPENTER
M.
AMANDA
WILLIAM V. SLOCUM
M.
LYDIA
THOMAS W. BROWN
M.
BETSY M.
M.
*AMEY
JEREMIAH S. MCGREGOR
THOMAS WOOD
CALEB WOOD
M. ---- AUSTIN
-
-
-
-
1
THOMAS
BENJAMIN
OLNEY
*SQUIRE GREENE M. AMEY NICHOLS
-
-
-
ISAAC MAXON EDGAR
FRANK
ANNIE
JONATHAN NICHOLS
KATE
HULDAH
CALEB THOMAS
SQUIRE
AMEY ELIZ.
M.
UM.
M.
CAROLINE GREENE
GUSTAVUS WILBUR
-
M.
2ND M.
LOTTIE
ELLEN P. TILLINGHAST
JOHN A. WILBUR
-
-
MINNIE E.
SQUIRE G.
AMEY M.
CLARA
NELSON G. CAPWELL
M. DR. ALLEN
-
EARL
HAROLD M. DOROTHY ALBRO
2ND M.
M.
BERTHA ALBRO 2ND M. HOPE McMILLAN
HAROLD N.
-
HOLDEN
ELLEN JANICE
-
-SON
-DAUGHTER
-DAUGHTER
-DAUGHTER
GARDNER
KATE
M.
JAMES J. POTTER HERBERT
HAZEL BARBER
The Nichols Family The Wood Family
I am tempted to give a short history of the place which for ten and a half years was my home, and which, if it could talk, could tell a great deal of sorrow and of joy.
The first house over there was built probably late in the eighteenth century, and stood just over the brook, west of the present house. It was a small house. I can remember seeing where the cellar stood, when I was a boy.
The present house was built about 1815 by Jonathan Nichols, his son Welcome Nichols, and my grand- father who was then 18 years old, having been born May 8, 1797, and this being his first job as a carpenter apprentice. I have heard him tell how all those large timbers were cut down and hewn in the woods and drawn by oxen to be used in framing the house. All the framing and all the shingles were hand made, and the boards were also sawed by hand. The frame was pinned together by wooden pegs driven into holes bored for them,-all done by hand.
In this house my grandfather was married in 1820 Squire Greene to my grandmother, Amy Nichols, and there their Wood Amy Nichols first child, Jonathan Nichols Wood, was born, in 1821. Wood Their first daughter, Kate, was born there in the early 20's. Then three children were born who died in infancy and are buried on the place. I am not certain whether the next son, C. T. Wood, was born there or not,-but Huldah, the second daughter to live, was born there, and so was Squire G., for whom I was
76
The Wood-Nichols Family
Elizabeth Wood
named. Squire G. Wood, when 22 years old, was killed in a sawmill which stood near where the cranberry house now stands. He was the first of the family to be buried in the cemetery at Hopkins Hollow, in Decem- ber, 1860. Elizabeth, the youngest child, was born at Anthony in 1845, but all of the early lives were spent in the old homestead. My grandfather and grand- mother spent about thirty years together there, moving soon after 1860 to Greene, to the new home, which Sanford T. Briggs now owns.
"South Farm"
As to the "South Farm*," I am not certain whether Mr. Arnold's family owns the original place as Jonathan Nichols sold it to my grandfather. The original farm lay in two towns, West Greenwich and Coventry, the highway being the town line between the two. The original farm was toward the east to the road running from the bridge near where Bud Gorsline now lives to the corner at the top of the hill to go west to my old home,-but some time in the late 50's of the last century my grandsire sold the east lot from the fence just east of the woodhouse to the Narrowlane Road to the American Cranberry Bog Company, then owned by Abiel Sampson Hodges & Company. This lot when I was a boy was used for a cow pasture by those living at the white house near the bridge. This was on the Coventry side. On the West Greenwich side it went much further east, nearly half way to the Lora Gaul place. On the south it went to the Dr. Wilcox place, now owned by Charles S. Brown, also to the Waite place now owned by Charles S. Brown. On the south and west by land of Daniel Tillinghast, now owned by Mrs. L. A. Tillinghast. Farther west by Wm. Reed, --- and on the north by Ambrose Hopkins, now owned by Ambrose Nicholas, and by the Arnold land across the river, the river being the boundary line on the north side.
Some time in the late 50's or early 60's of the last century my grandfather sold to Whipple V. Phillips,
* The "South Farm," his ancestral home, was an outstanding example of New England architecture.
77
The Wood-Nichols Family
who was then starting a sawmill at Greene, what was called the Bennett lot and Johnston lot for the lumber in them. There was very heavy pine, and this was cut down and drawn to Greene and sawed into box boards. Several years later my grandsire sold all he owned on the West Greenwich side, with the exception of about an acre, containing the barn and shed, to William Reed of Sprout Mill. About five acres was bought by my father for a trout pond, which was exempt.
In 1871 all the land on the north side in Coventry was sold to the Waite Brothers, who owned the place where Charlie Brown has his home,-and so the S. G. Wood place passed out of the name, never to come back into the family again. Since then it has been sold and resold a number of times, until finally it came into the hands of Edward E. Arnold.
It may be of interest to note that Jonathan Nichols Jonathan was a soldier in the Revolution, 1775 to 1881, and rose Nichols to be a captain in the regular army. Because of this my grandmother, Amey N. Wood, in 1895 was made a Daughter of the Revolution, and continued until her death in 1899.
I hope that some marking may be made of Jonathan Nichols' record in the Revolution.
Jonathan Nichols had four children,-three girls and Jonathan one boy,-who lived to grow up,-Welcome, Elipha, Nichols Amey and Diana.
The son, Welcome Nichols, never married, and died Welcome some time in his 40's. Nichols
Elipha Nichols married Jeremiah McGregor, Sr., who lived in a house on the north side of the road from Greene to Oneco, near where John H. Place now lives. The house where they lived was burned down. They had three children, John, J. S. Jr., and Jane. Dr. John McGregor, of Phenix and Providence, was killed by a dummy engine and coal car at the corner of Dorrance and Weybosset Streets, Providence, in 1869 or 1870,-
Amey Nichols Wood
Elipha Nichols McGregor
John McGregor
78
The Wood-Nichols Family
J. S. and had no children. J. S. McGregor, Jr., is buried in
McGregor, Jr.
John H. McGregor Florence McGregor Johnstone
the family lot near their old home,-and had two children,-John H., now dead,-and Florence, who married Henry Johnstone, and lives at Fall River. Jane McGregor married Dr. P. K. Hutchinson, a doctor be- tween 1861 and 1865, who lived until his death at Rice City, in a house which Rev. Harvey Filmer afterward owned. They had no children.
Amey Nichols Wood
Amey Nichols was my grandmother.
Diana
Nichols Johnson
Diana Nichols married Thomas Johnson of Phenix, in what was then Warwick, now West Warwick. They had three daughters,-Amanda, Lydia and Betsy M.
Amanda Johnson Carpenter
Eva
Carpenter Tillinghast
Susie
Tillinghast
Nellie Tillinghast Hunt Charles H. Tillinghast Job S. Carpenter
Bertha Carpenter
Lydia Johnson Slocum
Nellie Slocum Edward L. Slocum
Amanda Johnson married Charles F. Carpenter, who lived in West Warwick for many years, a half mile north of Sharpstreet, so-called, and whose place is divided by the new Victory Highway. They had three children,-Eva, Job S., and Bertha. Eva Carpenter, in 1871, married Halsey M. Tillinghast, who lived at Summit about fifteen years, and died several years ago, leaving Eva with three children,-Susie, now dead,- Nellie, who married Rev. Rollo Hunt and now lives in Brooklyn, N. Y.,-and Charles H., a professor in Columbia College, New York. Job S. Carpenter be- came a lawyer, and later in life Clerk of the Superior Court at East Greenwich. He was for several years counsel for Edward E. Arnold and for his firm. He died early in this century. Bertha Carpenter was born at Sharpstreet, and now lives in New York, a school teacher in that city.
Lydia Johnson married William V. Slocum of Phenix, a school teacher, Judge of Probate Court, and represen- tative to General Assembly. He died about ten years ago. He came to Hopkins Hollow Cemetery as a speaker on Decoration Sundays for many years. They had one daughter, Nellie, who died early in life,-and a son, Edward L., who died about a year before his father. Lydia Johnson Slocum died last year, in her ninetieth year.
Jane McGregor Hutchinson
79
The Wood-Nichols Family
Betsy M. Johnson married Thomas W. Brown of Betsy M. Phenix, and Moosup, Connecticut, where they died Brown Johnson and are buried. They left three children,-William H., William H. Annie M. and Bessie A. The two daughters live in Brown Annie M. Brown Providence, and the son at Torrington, Connecticut.
This completes the list of children of Jonathan Nichols and their descendants. As most of these had no children the line will run out. Although my grand- mother Amey has several descendants, yet the Nichols name will be gone.
The "South Farm," as already stated, had been sold "South Farm" off piece by piece until only the north side was left and that was sold to the Waite Brothers, who lived where Charlie S. Brown now lives. They never moved to the "South Farm," and it was notoccupied for several years. The three brothers, and their sister who kept house for them, all died within a year,-and to settle the estate the place was sold, in 1887, to Albert W. Aldrich of Providence, who moved onto it and lived there for about ten years, and moved to Greene, living there until about a year before his death, when he went to Oakland Beach, where he died. He sold the place to Daniel Billington, who lived there some years, and then moved to Greene. He sold the farm to the Sweet Brothers, who bought it for the lumber. They cut the lumber, the only time I can remember its being done. They bought up both sides of the road, and I am under the impression that they sold it to Edward E. Arnold.
A tradition has come down that four brothers named Wood Family Wood came from England early in the 1700's, or in the eighteenth century, as we call it,-probably to New York City, as we know it, then New Amsterdam. They all settled in Northern New York State, somewhere near Lake Oswego.
One of them stayed in this country but a short time, returning to England, where he lived and died, without marrying, and without heirs except those on this side of the Big Pond.
Bessie A. Brown
80
The Wood-Nichols Family
Thomas Wood The other three settled in New York State for a few years, after which one of them, Thomas, came to Rhode Island, to what is now Warwick, probably between what is now Apponaug and Rocky Point, on land then owned by Samuel Arnold, who then owned most of what we call Old Warwick. Not seeming to like it as well as he expected,-or perhaps because of trouble with the owner,-he moved into Coventry, then a new town set off from Warwick. The place where he settled and where he lived and died was near the town line of West Greenwich, about two miles southeast of what is now Summit. If you go down the Harkney Hill Road from Arnold Farms, past the Cooper place at the Four Corners, then keep east by the Caleb Bates place, past the road on the left going through Whaley Hollow, next to the Harkney Hill Road keeping to the right about half a mile, you come to a gate on the right with a road which leads in about a mile to the old Wood place, where my great grandfather Caleb was born and where his large family of boys was raised, and where the older generation lies buried.
Caleb Wood
I have never heard much about Caleb's brothers and sisters,-but Caleb married one of the Austin family on Bowen's Hill, and had a large family of boys and one or two girls. There was Thomas, Benjamin, Olney and Gardner, besides my grandfather, Squire Greene Wood.
Thomas Wood
Benjamin Wood
Thomas and Benjamin went to New York State near where their grandparents and the first settlers located, and there lived, married and died. I saw Benjamin, who came to Narrowlane when I was six or seven years old, and stayed a week or so. He had several children, one or two of whom I saw when a small boy.
Caleb Wood
Caleb, my great grandfather, later sold the old place to Olney Potter, and moved about two miles west on the road from Summit to Sharpstreet, now on the new Victory Highway. He lived in what was later used for a shop and woodhouse, corn crib and so forth. Here he
8I
The Wood-Nichols Family
lived his later years and here he died. My grandfather and grandmother went there and took care of him until his death. My grandfather then sold the place to Job Carpenter, some time about 1866. My grandfather took his mother to his home at Greene, where Sanford Briggs now lives, and I can remember seeing her there when I was a small boy. She was buried on the old place, near the Nichols Groves. Caleb, her husband, was buried in a cemetery about a mile this side of where they lived. It is nearly half a mile from the new road east of the Henry Potter place. I have been through it many times in my younger days, but I did not know then that any of my folks were buried there. The first generation were buried on the old farm, as was the custom then, but Caleb was buried in the new cemetery. My grandfather and his family are all buried at Hopkins Hollow,-with the exception of Jonathan, who is buried in a cemetery a half mile south of Sharpstreet on the new highway,-and my father, who is buried in Tomah, Wisconsin. Lizzie will probably be buried with her husband, James J. Potter, at Oneco.
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